Alphacool Eisbaer Extreme 280mm Review

1. Introduction2. Unboxing and First Look3. The Installation Process4. Testing Methodology5. Performance and Comparisons6. Closing Thoughts7. View All Pages

When approaching the Eisbaer Extreme I had been expecting impressive results, and this turned out to be 100% the case. For the cooler to top our 5GHz test is great, but it is also very understandable when you consider how high quality all the individual parts that make up the Eisbaer Extreme are.

Running through the parts list, the CPU block, the fans, pump and 280mm radiator are all great options if you were looking to build a fully custom liquid cooling loop yourself. In terms of pricing, too, the Eispump VPP755 V.3 standalone is roughly £65 or so, so the full price of the Eisbaer Extreme makes perfect sense.

In fact, if you were pricing up the cost of buying these (or similar) components separately, you'd be coming to a similar – if not higher – price. Basically, Alphacool has done this for you while taking a lot of the guesswork and risk out of the equation. At £227 it is certainly expensive, but for the enthusiast looking for the best cooling performance, it is certainly a price worth paying.

So yes, the Eisbaer Extreme is a bit of a niche product – but it is really aimed at someone who already has an interest in custom water-cooling but might not want to commit to a full custom loop just yet. In that respect, the Eisbaer Extreme is a brilliant option, both in terms of the performance it offers, and the fact that you can easily expand it down the line.

The Alphacool Eisbaer Extreme 280 is currently available from AquaTuning for £226.79 inc. VAT HERE.

Pros

• Heavyweight, solid construction.
• Great to see the Eisbaer Extreme is built from readily available water-cooling components.
• Excellent performance, both for temperatures and audible noise.
• Easily expandable thanks to inline quick release fittings.

Cons

• Expensive.
• Huge!

KitGuru says: For those looking to get into custom water-cooling with very little hassle, the Alphacool Eisbaer Extreme offers a great parts list with room to expand.

Become a Patron!

Be sure to check out our sponsors store EKWB here